On top of gaming becoming a ridiculously expensive hobby, we learned that legendary game studio BioWare won’t be making any new games after being shut down, and XBOX is reportedly preparing to lay off more employees.
Pour one out for BioWare, the iconic studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchise, and for bangers like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur’s Gate. Bloomberg reported that EA is shuttering the studio as part of mass layoffs at the video game company, which will cut 400 employees, including 50 at BioWare.
After Dragon Age: Inquisition brought the franchise’s best sales, BioWare released the disaster that was Anthem, then Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which also had troubled development and underperformed.
BioWare found mixed success with the Mass Effect franchise, with the first three games earning its place in the hearts of gamers forever. At the same time, Mass Effect Andromeda was a massive disappointment with fans. Still, BioWare recovered some of the good standing it lost with the Mass Effect faithful with the release of the Legendary Edition remaster.
Mass Effect 5 Is Dead
BioWare spent its last few years teasing the next chapter in the Mass Effect universe, dropping tiny details and revealing it would take place 100 years after the events of Mass Effect 3, after your version of Commander Shepard stopped the Reaper invasion.
Now fans sadly won’t know what to expect from Mass Effect 5, after BioWare confirmed in a social media statement that development has stopped.
As expected, you can hear the collective cries of gamers with a personal connection to BioWare’s games across social media.
RIP BioWare. Mass Effect will always hold a special place in our hearts here at HHW Gaming.
More Layoffs Are Reportedly Coming at Xbox
Fresh off news that their next console could cost about $1,800, Fortune reports that as part of Xbox’s ongoing reset under Asha Sharma’s leadership, more layoffs can be expected in October, November, and January.
The report also touches on the possibility of selling XBOX.
Per Polygon:
In the report, Jason Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business, downplayed the lingering rumor that Xbox may be spun off and sold.
“Asha is one of the best leaders we have at the whole company,” Althoff said. “We would not have put her on a business we intend to sell. There’s going to be a ton of speculation about all this. Time will tell.” Sharma previously said that the Xbox division is not for sale in a statement to The New York Times.
News of more possible layoffs isn’t sitting well with gamers on social media, who feel for the affected employees and constantly worry they could lose their jobs at any moment.
The video game industry is clearly in turmoil.
You can see more reactions below.
